Wildfire closes part of Rogue River Trail

Three miles of the Rogue River Trail between Grave Creek and Whisky Creek has been closed this week as wildfire crews battle a blaze there.

By Mark Freeman

Three miles of the Rogue River Trail between Grave Creek and Whisky Creek has been closed this week as wildfire crews battle a blaze there.

Hikers and anglers planning to work their way down the north side of the Rogue River to Rainie Falls were turned away beginning Monday. Also, signs of the closure were put up this week at the Rogue River Ranch, which is about 22 miles downstream from Grave Creek.

However, the Rainie Falls Trail and area roads west of Merlin have remained open as wildland crews fight the 15-acre fire on U.S. Bureau of Land Management lands.

Three crews, two helicopters and several engines have been assigned to the fire. Helicopters are removing water from the Rogue with buckets during firefighting efforts, so rafters and others in the area need to be careful.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to the BLM.

Rogue FlyFishers Association is set to hold its annual fundraising dinner and auction Saturday, Oct. 20, in Medford.

The event will run from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel, 200 N. Riverside Ave.

Tickets cost $25, which includes dinner and wine. Entrees are prime roast, Tillamook-crusted chicken or a vegetarian dish.

The proceeds from the dinner-auction help fund future conservation projects in the region.

Last year's profits went toward restoring the meandering channel to lower Little Butte Creek on its reach through the Denman Wildlife Area.

For information and tickets, call club president Kellie Christensen at 541-776-4094 or email her at kclmbr@msn.com.

Matsutake mushroom season has begun in the Klamath National Forest, and hunters can pick up to a gallon a day and five gallons a year without a permit.

Commercial permits are available at various district offices on the forest, and they cost anywhere from $20 for four consecutive days to $100 for the entire fall season. Each permit also has maximum harvest limits.